Jaded
by Nakashima-Michiyo
Summary: “I was born a failure, my journey began with a tiny step, and even at that, I crumble and fall. [Itachixsakura] One shot.


Michi: Yay It's my BIRTHDAY! Decided to celebrate with a One-shot, well more so a drabble.

**Disclaimer: I don't own NARUTO**

---x----

**Jaded**

**An Itachi x Sakura slight Sasu x Saku ONE-SHOT. **

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The pink haired kunoichi drew in a breath and groped the moist ground for her Konoha head protector, in the darkness. Pain engulfed her body but she continued her quest. Her bloody hands reached out and brushed long hair behind her ears. Sweat trickled down her pale face, as she reminded herself to be quiet and quick with her task.

"_From now on, you are a Konoha ninja, be proud and no matter what this forehead protector will show your loyalty to Konohagakure!"_

She paused. _Loyalty._ Is that something she still carries? She betrayed her home, her friends and her loved ones for someone who could dispose of her. But yet she stayed by his side, to obtain power, to gather knowledge and, something she didn't knew she could have, love.

Closing her eyes and wrapping her calloused hands around the familiar object she began to search for her heart. She flinched when she heard a cackle of flames. A jutsu too familiar to be estimated for an '_enemy'_ ninja.

**Uchiha Sasuke.**

He was one of them whom she had waited for yet, was the one she left behind. Of course, he knew whom she loved and loves. He returned only to find his love in the arms of an S-classed criminal. More so, his own brother. A tainted man who killed before the age of maturity. But don't get him wrong, he never denies he was too mature for his young age. Yet, now the man who killed his family and instructed him to hate and to detest steals HIS woman.

"Well BROTHER, you told me to hate? You get _hate._ I will kill you and that pathetic excuse for a kunoichi!"

Every word stabbed Sakura like daggers tinged with poison. This was the worst thing she had heard in her life, in this horrid dirty forest she heard her ex-team mate announce to end her life and her beloved's.

'_Don't cry Sakura, there is always a way.'_

"I'll never let you have her, foolish little brother. Even if I'm blind."

Sounds of kunai and shurikens and jutsus clashed. A ferocious battle occurred yet in mere seconds it ended.

A cry of agony and the sound of a thousand birds shot through the mute forest as if on cue, cut her out of her own reverie making her run towards the scream.

She comforts herself saying nothing will happen and that maybe some raccoon bit Naruto or Sasuke's foot or something.

She hoped and hoped until she arrived at a clearing. The wounds deprived her clear vision and control over her body. Slowly eating away her consciousness as her lifeless emerald eyes shook with sorrow as she saw Sasuke with a wretched grin on his face, half filled with insanity as blood trickled down his hands. Blue light fades around his hand and when she had looked down on the ground she sees her love.

"Itachi…" Tears welled up behind her eyes and yet she does not cry for she knows he acknowledges tears as a weakness. He was her sensei, her protector, her guidance, her support, her hope, her dreams and her love.

"_Don't cry, showing your sadness shows you're a weak shinobi because you cannot master the arts of apathy."_

She swallowed her tears and proceeded towards the once young but now matured Uchiha. Nineteen year old Haruno Sakura was afraid of Uchiha Sasuke.

He turned his head towards her,

"Sakura-chan" her named rolled of his tongue delicately with anger, "look what I did." He smiled like a six year old to his mommy when he is proud of his art creation.

Her heart pounded in her ears and felt like it could fly out of her chest! She quickly composed herself and swallowed, hard.

"S-sa-Sasuke-kun," she gulped and breathed in like it was her last breath.

"_I…I came back just for you Sakura. Please…marry me."_

"_I'm sorry Sasuke-kun but…I sold my heart to someone else…"_

_Shock took over his tired body._

"Sakura, as an ex-team mate and…lover. I'll let you escape from here…with _HIM._ If I ever catch you, I'll eliminate you."

Her eyes widened and she froze looking back with disappointed yet grateful lifeless emerald eyes.

"Clock is ticking, Sakura." He grabbed a fistful of her hair as he appeared behind her and threw her beside Itachi's heavily wounded body.

Hair fell over his eyes casting a dark shadow. "I'm respecting you and him so quickly run, before I change my mind and kill you, Haruno."

Sakura winced and tore her heavy body from the ground taking one last look at Sasuke before heaving Itachi across the forest floor.

"Arigato…Sasuke-kun."

While Sakura carried the heavy body as she reminisced her past.

_-----x---_

"_I was born a failure, my journey began with a tiny step, and even at that, I crumble and fall. My first step was being born in to this cruel world, I was weak and was never meant to survive but somehow I was pulled back into the living… I know, I'll never be able to be strong…I will always fail… You're born a genius and you have great looks too. Some loved you, some hated you but yet people hated me. They hated me because I had a big forehead and because I'm not strong. So what if I had a mind of a genius I didn't have the skills."_

"_You're not weak." _

_Sakura looked at him with wide eyes, "W-what did you say?"_

"…"

_She couldn't believe her ears; THE Uchiha Itachi didn't say she's weak! Well let's sing alleluia! _

_Sakura's cheeks reddened and smiled at her emotionless sensei._

_He kissed her on the cheek it was an empty kiss but she was content._

Sakura smiled as she reached a cliff and placed Itachi's body on the ground. He was breathing ever so lightly.

"Gomenasai minna-san, and arigato Tsunade-shishou, Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi." She then cried bloody tears as a beam of moonlight shone down on her face.

She summoned all the chakra left in her and poured it into Itachi's body. Almost instantly it healed his minor wounds, stabled his breathing and nonetheless the Chidori wound.

A small thump was heard and the sound of one breathing. Raindrops started to fall and drip down on the couple. The dying one took her last breath taking his hand in hers,

"ashite'ru…"

She gave her life for her loved one, knowing that her first and last step will plunge her into darkness yet she wanted to feel the light and bathe in the sunlight of love. Because of her doing, she lost her hope and dreams in one…mere choice. Her fate was sealed.

--x---

**Jaded**

**On the path she was fated to follow **

**Her journey began with a single step**

**But she would fail, forever into darkness**

**Her blood stained tears tainted her sweet face**

**As she looked longingly up at the starless sky**

**Gazing at the pure light of the moon.**

**The light devouring her**

**Like the phantom of the night**

**Her dreams dwindled to nothingness**

**As the hope inside of her began to fade**

**And there she lay down **

**To sleep…**

**Forever.**

**-Annie ravenswift. you Annie for the poem for the inspiration!**

Michi: D! Please press the pretty purple button down there! Hope you enjoyed the story!


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